The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #17059   Message #162660
Posted By: Alan of Australia
14-Jan-00 - 06:10 AM
Thread Name: Lyr/Tune Add: Banks of Newfoundland
Subject: Lyr Add: THE BANKS OF NEWFOUNDLAND^^
G'day,
From the Penguin Book Of English Folk Songs, Ed Pellow's submission of the tune of The Banks Of Newfoundland can be found here.

The Banks of Newfoundland

O you Western Ocean labourers,
I would have you all beware,
That when you're aboard of a packet-ship,
No dungaree jumpers wear,
But have a big monkey jacket
Always at your command,
And think of the cold Nor'westers
On the Banks of the Newfoundland.

Chorus:
So we'll rub her round and scrub her round
With holystone and sand,
And say farewell to the Virgin Rocks
On the Banks of the Newfoundland.

As I lay in my bunk one night
A-dreaming all alone,
I dreamt I was in Liverpool,
'Way up in Marylebone,
With my true love beside of me,
And a jug of ale in hand,
When I woke quite brokenhearted
On the Banks of Newfoundland.

We had one Lynch from Ballinahinch,
Jimmy Murphy and Mike Moore;
It was in the winter of sixty-two,
Those sea-boys suffered sore,
For they'd pawned their clothes in Liverpool,
And sold them out of hand,
Not thinking of the cold Nor'westers
On the Banks of Newfoundland.

We had one female passenger,
Bridget Riley was her name,
To her I promised marriage
And on me she had a claim.
She tore up her flannel petticoats
To make mittens for our hands,
For she couldn't see the sea-boys freeze
On the Banks of Newfoundland.

And now we're off Sandy Hook, my boys,
And the land's all covered with snow.
The tug-boat will take our hawser
And for New York we will tow;
And when we arrive at the Black Ball dock,
The boys and girls there will stand,
We'll bid adieu to the packet-ships
And the Banks of Newfoundland.

The DT has a different version here.

Previous song: The Banks Of Green Willow.
Next song: The Banks Of Sweet Primroses.

Cheers,
Alan ^^